Over the years, future Hall of Fame point guard Russell Westbrook has become one of the more polarizing players across the entire NBA. Westbrook has bounced around the league recently, in part due to his inability to adjust to a diminishing role teams have granted him.
The former league MVP isn't the same player that he once was, showing a decline in athleticism at times that has clearly affected his ability to perform well on the court.
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Westbrook can still be a productive player for a team but it will take a good attitude and mindset going forward. He picked up his $4 million player option to remain with the Los Angeles Clippers this offseason but it seems that the Clippers are looking to move off the Westbrook experiment. Los Angeles has been searching around the NBA to offload Westbrook but so far, not many teams have seemed interested in acquiring the veteran guard.
However, the one team that has shown some level of interest in Westbrook is the Denver Nuggets. After falling short of a title repeat this past season, Denver is looking to add more talent to the roster. The Nuggets traded away veteran guard Reggie Jackson, himself a former Clipper, to dump his salary and thus now have a need for a backup point guard spot. NBA insider Marc Stein reported that Denver was the only team to show any interest in the nine-time All-Star.
Adding someone like Westbrook could be a solid addition for the Nuggets, especially if he is only playing for a few minutes at a time. Westbrook would need to completely buy into whatever role the Nuggets would give him if they did acquire him, otherwise, it would be more of the same for Westbrook. He did better with the Clippers than he had with the Los Angeles Lakers, his prior team, but there were reports that he wasn't happy with his small role.
It can be tough for former star players to accept a smaller role as they get older but Westbrook has to accept the reality. He has been a fun player to watch over the course of his career and if he can't buy into a lesser role, he may find himself out of the NBA. His future in the league remains up in the air, but it seems his time with the Clippers has run its course as they look to move him this offseason.
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Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Matt Levine works as a contributing writer for Newsweek, covering multiple sports. He graduated in 2021 with a Master of ... Read more
